Music, Color and Sunshine

Music, Color and Sunshine



This guy with this Harp like instrument comes into the Internet Café every morning and fills the room with the most relaxing music you can imagine. The Holler needs one of these.

This wonderful Bronze Sculpture of a Mariachi greets visitors to Chapala. A fitting tribute to the many musicians that constantly entertain the many visitors and inhabitants of Chapala

The common method of fishing here in Lake Chapala is by nets. These fishermen provide a steady supply of wonderful, fresh, affordable, fish to the community.

The Malecon (seawall) where we walk in the mornings, is some what disserted this time of the day. However, it fills up every afternoon and on Sundays it is a constant source of entertainment.

We heard drumming and mosied over a couple of blocks to witness this parade of amazing feathered costumes, performed by indigenous people. Don't know what the parade was all about but the drumming and dancing lasted all afternoon and way into the night.

Don't have a clew of what these Masked Hotties were doing in this parade but they could sure "shake that thing"

Even the children took an important part in this amazing parade

Amazing feathered headdress. The brilliance and detail of these elaborate costumes were breath taking.

I hope that you can imagine the brilliance of these elaborate headdresses. At first I thought them to be Pheasant feathers but never heard of a four-foot pheasant tail feather.

This shot gives you a little more detail of their costumes. I am sure that these shots do not do them justice. We piled into bed at 10 pm and the drumming and dancing was still going strong

Wally and Sue took us to their favorite Botanical Garden just up the hill from their house. The grounds were pristine and extensive. Following is a series of shots of cactus, don't ask me the names of them, just enjoy the beauty.

San Miguel boasts a population of two hundred thousand. I am not convinced as it retains a small town flavor. From the lofty outlook of our town house, one can see many Cathedrals all date back to the mid 1500's

The Majestic environment of these immense Cathedrals is very humbling as intended.

Even the doors are gigantic and they have inspired a series of "The Doors and Knockers of San Miguel de Aliened" which will be coming up soon. Hold on, not that kind of knockers, I mean Door Knockers. However they have plenty of the other kind as well.

Street beggars are fairly common, however not imposing. The locals say that it is an industry and not to worry about them. But I am an easy touch and always managed to come up with a few pesos, but not with out a photo. I came across one and only had a fifty-cent coin, which I offered along with a photo. She indicated that it was not enough and wanted a dollar. Oh well what is a dollar. I am easy.

Just one of the many highly skilled paintings found through out the city.

OK this one got a dollar. But I loved the color combination and her ability to extract the extra money.

Sue had Spanish classes till 1pm so on many mornings, Wal, Barb and I went exploring the local mountains and with out a local map, which we tried, again and again to find, with no luck. Oddly enough we could get a map of the neighboring State but not one for here. It was almost more challenging and fun with out one and Wal always had a way of finding water, like a horse in the desert. What a fisherman.

I call this "Shovel Art" look closely, these mask are made from discarded shovels, way cool

Bare with me, I just could not resist one more Cathedral Shot. Built in
1550, WOW.

This shot was taken form inside the house that Wal and Sue had rented and shred with us. Very tasteful contemporary architecture and no mistake on the placement of this window. What a view.

Sorry about the previous statement. This is the woman the demanded the Dollar for the shot. Love it.

I will close this session with one last shot of our most precious host and long time friends, enjoying just one of the outrageously wonderful meals together. I know that the meals were good and perhaps it was the wonderful host that made it so satiating. Stay tuned for the Doors and Knockers of San Miguel.